CommonGround Minnesota returns to in-person events
Above: Attendees of CommonGround Minnesota’s event at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum enjoy hors d’oeuvres while learning about modern agriculture.
CommonGround Minnesota, a volunteer initiative that builds relationships between women who farm and those who do not, made a return to in-person events this fall.
In mid-September, CommonGround hosted a wine-and-dine event at Schram Vineyards in Waconia, connecting guests with volunteer farmers for conversations about agriculture. All ticket proceeds from the event went to Second Harvest Heartland and its mission to fight hunger in Minnesota.
Later in the month, CommonGround and Twin Cities Mom Collective, an online blog and resource hub, hosted a dinner for local bloggers and social media influencers at the ‘Farm at the Arb’ interpretive farm at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.
More than 100 women attended the two events, learning more about food and farming from the volunteers and gaining a greater appreciation of agriculture. CommonGround also partnered this fall with Twin Cities in Motion for its Women Run the Cities race events in late July and Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend race events in early October.
At the Arboretum event, guests enjoyed conversation and hors d’oeuvres while learning about some of the different crops featured in the plots at the site before sitting inside the restored red barn at ‘Farm at the Arb’ for dinner. Afterward, farmer volunteers Lauren Biegler, Katie Brenny and Krista Willis hosted a question-and-answer session, talking about their lives on the farm, sustainability and technology in agriculture.
[More: Read a recap of the Arboretum event on the Twin Cities Mom Collective website]
Twin Cities Mom Collective co-owner Jess Dronen said it was great to learn more about food and farming, noting how much in common farmers share with the non-farming public. Fellow co-owner Kim Mortensen said it was fascinating to learn about the day-to-day lives of farmers and the technologies they use to produce their crops.
“Everyone felt so comfortable,” Dronen said, noting that the event spurred additional interest in farming among attendees. “There’s definitely going to be a lot of dialogue.”
In 2020, because of the pandemic, CommonGround transitioned to hosting virtual events. Volunteers were excited to return to in-person events this fall.
To learn more about CommonGround, visit commongroundminnesota.com.
